More things to do with zucchini

Summer is traditionally the time for farmer’s markets and fresh fruits and veggies.  Think of summer and images of corn, strawberries, watermelon, and tomatoes come immediately to mind.  Zucchini is another one of those vegetables that seem to be everywhere this time of year, but zucchini are a little different.  For one thing, there’s the name.  Here in the US we call them zucchini but they are also known as green squash or summer squash (although I’ve always thought of summer squash as the nearly identical tasting yellow squash).  In much of Europe they are known as courgette and I’ve also seen menus in the UK that refer to them as marrows.  The use of courgette and marrow solves the pluralized version of zucchini. Do you have two zucchini or two zucchinis?

Like many other foods, zucchinis are native to the Americas and were brought to Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries.  They became popular in Italy and then spread throughout the rest of Europe and appear often as a side dish in French, Italian, and Mediterranean inspired food.

For me, though, there is something about the zucchini that isn’t as compelling as, say, corn or tomatoes.  I have a couple ears of corn for dinner every day until the season is over and not get bored. Tomatoes, frankly, are amazing. Zucchini, though, doesn’t have a strong flavor on it’s own – it’s versatile and can carry other flavors well but it isn’t much by itself.

There are lots of ways of traditionally handling zucchini and I use them all from time to time. Probably the most common is simple steamed zucchini, dressed with butter or olive oil, salt, and pepper.  A couple more quick and traditional techniques would be to cut lengthwise, brush with olive oil and grill, or slice in half, scoop out the seeds, fill the hole with breadcrumbs and cheese, and broil.  Ratatouille is traditional approach but to do it right takes more work than you might think and I’ve experienced more than one ratatouille disaster. 

But alternating these can get a bit tedious so I do a little exploring, in particular looking at ways that zucchini can be a substitute for something else.  The pancakes above are an elaboration on traditional potato pancakes (or latkes).  Grate a couple of zucchinis and then salt them.  This is an intermediate step that can be skipped but if you can take a couple extra minutes, really improves the flavor and texture.  Put the grated zucchini in a colander, sprinkle liberally with salt, mix it all together and let things sit quietly for 15-20 minutes.  Then rinse and squeeze out the water in paper or dish towels.  This process removes excess water from the zucchini, leaving more zucchini-ness and a crunchier texture.  

Mix with eggs, flour, pepper, scallions, and I’ll add some jalapeño for a little jolt.  Scoop out 1/4 cup portions and fry vegetable oil until crispy on both sides.  Serve with sour cream.  It sounds a bit more like a winter dish than a summer one, but it’s really delicious anytime. 

My other substitution special is so simple I was kicking myself for not discovering it on my own, but is also amazingly versatile.  The key is to trim the zucchini lengthwise with a vegetable peeler and the result looks a lot like fettuccini and can carry any number of sauces.  The version to the left is served with a pesto sauce, but I’ve also served it with a diced tomato and garlic sauce, with breadcrumbs toasted with olive oil and anchovies, with a Moroccan charmoula, and with just olive oil and fresh herbs. They’ve all been delicious and this faux fettuccini takes all of about six minutes.  

I have one last dish – a raw zucchini salad that is as good an example of how zucchini (almost) by itself can be a treat.  I’ve done this by either grating or julienning the squash and then salting it for 20 minutes.  While the zucchini is resting in it’s salt, mince a small shallot and a garlic clove and add some lemon juice.  When the zucchini is ready, add the shallot/garlic mixture and olive oil, plate, and garnish with almonds and fresh herbs.  

This salad is a perfect example of how certain foods can be transformed in their preparation.  As mentioned earlier, salting the zucchini removes water, making the flavor of the zucchini more pronounced.  It also softens the zucchini without completely removing texture, making it just perfect for a salad.  At the time time, macerating (soaking) shallots in an acid like lemon juice changes the shallots.  The bitterness common to the onion/garlic family goes away, replaced a vegetal sweetness.  When everything comes together, the combination of flavors is really remarkable in how they all have independent presences in a harmonious whole.  

Recipe – Zucchini pancakes

Ingredients

2 zucchini, grated

1 jalapeño (or more) minced

2 scallions, sliced thinly

1/2 cup flour

1 egg, lightly beaten

vegetable oil

Directions

Put the grated zucchini in a colander and salt liberally.  Mix the salt and zucchini together and let rest for 20 minutes.  Rinse and then squeeze out the water in a dish towel or paper towel.

Mix the zucchini, jalapeño, scallions, flour, and egg together in a bowl. 

Add enough vegetable oil to cover a skillet to about 1/8″.  Heat until almost smoking.  Scoop out 1/4 cup of zucchini mixture, shape into a ball, place in the oil and flatten until 1/4″ thick.  Cook 2-3 minutes on each side, until medium brown and crispy.  Drain on paper towels.  

Serve with sour cream. 

Recipe – Zucchini ribbons

Ingredients

1 zucchini

1 tbl pesto sauce

1 tbl olive oil

Directions

Shave the zucchini with a vegetable peeler until the seeds in the center begin to show.  Trim as close as you can to the seeds without adding shavings with seeds.  

Heat the oil in a skillet until almost smoking.  Add the zucchini and stir rapidly until cooked – it should take no more than one minute.  Turn the heat off and add the sauce.  There are multiple sauces that would work well in this preparation.  Serve.

Recipe – Zucchini salad

Ingredients

1 zucchini, julienned

1 small shallot, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tbl lemon juice

2 tbl extra virgin olive oil

1 tbl almond slivers, toasted

1 tbl basil, chopped

Directions

Julienning zucchini (cutting them in long, narrow strips) can take a long time with a knife.  A mandolin works very well for this but a mandolin can also be the most dangerous tool in your kitchen.  Grating works well too.  Salt the zucchini and set aside for 20 minutes. 

Combine the shallot, garlic, and lemon juice in a small bowl and let sit until ready.

Combine the zucchini, shallot/garlic mixture, and olive oil and toss to cover.  Transfer to a serving dish with a slotted spoon, allowing the excess oil and lemon juice to drain off.  Garnish with almonds and herbs.